The Rattlesnake Bite
by BooksOnFire
Summary: Takes place a little after Fading Echoes. One-shot. Cloudberry is a young ThunderClan warrior, who discovers the road to StarClan at a young age. R & R, and flaming is accepted. Rated T for death.


The Rattlesnake Bite

Hello. I am Cloudberry of StarClan. Formerly ThunderClan, but I died last sunrise, and I am here to tell you my story.

It was a bright leaf-fall day, and the birds were singing merrily. The kits were tussling and the queens were looking on with contented expressions. A typical day in the Clan. I was basking on the sunning rocks, along with Purdy and Mousefur. Longtail had died a moon ago, and Mousefur was still mourning as if it had happened the day before. Currently, she was snoozing with her head on her paws. Then it happened. A young, sly, quick rattlesnake shot out of the crack, too fast for me to comprehend. "AAAAAHHHHHHH!" shrieked Purdy, loud enough to awaken Mousefur. (I know, you probably don't believe me, but seriously. It woke MOUSEFUR up. Amazing, right?) "What happened?" she mumbled, her words jumbling together. Before I could respond, the snake was upon me, glistening teeth closing on my left forepaw…..

I screamed in terror, trying to resist the excruciating pain. Leafpool came running out of her den, but she wasn't looking at me. She was looking at Purdy with a horrified expression on her face. My blood was on fire, and everything around me blurred and spun. My teeth itched and my bones ached, but I couldn't escape my own body. It was the worst experience of my short life as a warrior, and the last. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings, and my flailing limbs were swinging around pointlessly. There was no solution, except death.

I looked at Leafpool again, my vision growing darker by the heartbeat. She stared at me with that clouded amber gaze, and I knew there was no hope. Her expression said it all. My Clanmates were all demanding herbs, but I understood. There was a serenity, you know. Knowing that the end of my life was right there, moments away. Leafpool knew I felt it, and so she didn't defend herself. Just stood there in a shocked stupor. My stomach contracted, and I felt like throwing up. I flexed my claws in and out, but of course, it did nothing. My mother stood beside me, weeping her heart out, talking about all the things I would miss. I had only become a warrior a few days ago, and I was a devastating loss to the Clan. Firestar said I had lots of potential. The thing I remember most before I closed my eyes for the last time was the way my littermates crowded beside me and whispered how great a cat I was. It filled me with such warmth and confidence, I almost forgot my pain. Almost. I glanced at the camp around me one more time; the sheer stone walls, the bushes we used for dens, and the cave that was home to Leafpool. Finally, I let myself go, the pain too much to bear any longer.

The first thing I noticed was the sudden loss of pain. I opened my eyes to tiny slits, and looked at my surroundings. There was a strong scent of fresh-kill, and it was greenleaf. A starry cat prowled up to me, gently meowing a greeting. "Hello," she murmured. It was so low, I almost wondered if I'd actually heard her say it. "Hi," I mewed uncertainly, wariness creeping into my tone. "I am Spottedleaf, former medicine cat of ThunderClan. I have come to welcome you to StarClan." Did she just say _StarClan_? Yep. I guess that explained the nice, warm feeling I had and the odd change of seasons. "What about my family?" I inquired, slightly grieving over my lost kin. "They will be fine, and eventually you will all meet up here, in StarClan. Follow me." She padded off, leaving me no choice but to follow. She trotted along a well-worn path and between dense undergrowth. Soon we came up to a camp, and hundreds of old ThunderClan cats welcomed me. "Hello, Cloudberry," they said in unison. I came up and sat down in front of them. "We are your ancestors, and it is our duty to welcome you into StarClan. It's a shame you had to leave the earth so young. You had so much to contribute." I nodded in acknowledgment. I exchanged greetings and found a den for myself as soon as I was done. It didn't take long for me to get used to StarClan; after all, the hunting's great and lounging around your nest all day or sitting out in the sunshine is something you don't do regularly back in ThunderClan. Anyways, I've got to go now. See you later! And by the way-could you tell Firestar to check the cracks? I sense another rattler, and a kit could be in my place the next time it strikes. Now wake up young warrior. I only told you this story to warn you of the dangers lurking around your very camp. You can't afford to be lazy-it could be a life or death situation. Literally.


End file.
